Face-Off Elegance (Yoonjinkook)

Chapter 16: Court meeting got wrong

The courtroom hummed with a low, expectant energy as Seokjin sat stiffly beside Jimin. The earphone, barely visible beneath her hair, was their lifeline to Sullyoon, who tirelessly researched every detail from the car parked outside. Across the aisle, Jeon Bae-soo and Jungkook sat under the imposing shadow of Atty. Song, Busan's legal titan, her eyes glinting like a predator sizing up its prey.

Jungkook's gaze, however, couldn't stay away from Seokjin. His heart ached for her. The familiar girl he loved now transformed into a stranger shrouded in suspicion. Behind them, Mi-yeol, her face a mask of carefully crafted indifference, observed the scene with sharp, calculating eyes.

In the car, Sullyoon's fingers flew across the keyboard, unearthing inconsistencies in witness testimonies, tracking down alibi leads, and piecing together a timeline that contradicted the prosecution's narrative. The melody of injustice threatened to drown Seokjin's spirit, but through the tiny earpiece, Sullyoon's voice, a steady counterpoint, kept her afloat.

Meanwhile, Jungkook, unable to bear the sight of Seokjin's suffering, approached the stand.

"Seokjin, be strong."

Then the trial proceed the first witness is Manager Shik-yuk Park's testimony hung heavy in the air, his words painting a picture of Seokjin driven by ambition and resentment.

The claim that she desired the top spot at the bakery, coupled with the order from Jeon to fire her, resonated with the prosecutor's narrative of envy and motive.

Jimin, her brow furrowed in concentration, leaned closer to Seokjin, murmuring reassurances as she subtly relayed Park's testimony to Sullyoon. In the car, Sullyoon's fingers flew across the keyboard, searching for discrepancies in Park's words, digging into Jeon's history, and building a counterpoint to the prosecutor's melody of suspicion.

"Mr. Park," Jimin began, her voice calm and controlled, "you mentioned Seokjin wanting to be number one. Did she ever express this desire directly to you or to anyone else?"

Park hesitated, his gaze flickering towards Atty. Song before settling back on Jimin. "No," he admitted, his voice faltering. "It was just... the way she always strived for perfection, her competitiveness. It just felt like..."

"Felt like what, Mr. Park?" Jimin pressed, her eyes unwavering.

He cleared his throat, discomfort evident in his posture. "Felt like she wouldn't hesitate to step over anyone to get ahead."

A murmur rippled through the courtroom. Atty. Song leaned forward, a predatory glint in his eyes. But before he could capitalize on Park's statement, Jimin intervened.

"And did you, Mr. Park, ever witness Seokjin engaging in any such behavior? Any instances of dishonesty, manipulation, or aggression towards her colleagues?" Park, cornered by Jimin's logic, shook his head. "No. Nothing like that. She was always a good employee, dedicated and hardworking."

The prosecutor, sensing the momentum shifting, objected furiously, but the judge overruled him. Jimin, with a flick of her wrist, turned the courtroom's attention back to Park.

"So, Mr. Park," she concluded, her voice rising to a crescendo, "your claim of Seokjin having a motive is based solely on conjecture, on personal assumptions about her ambition. Is that correct?"

Park, trapped in the web of his own words, mumbled a reluctant confirmation, also Jimin'eyes is seductive, all he can is to gulped his saliva from time to time. The air crackled with tension as Jimin, with a triumphant glint in her eyes, turned to the jury.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she declared, her voice ringing clear, "the prosecution's portrayal of Seokjin as a power-hungry killer relies on flimsy speculation, not concrete evidence. We urge you to remember this as the trial unfolds, to remain discerning and base your judgement on facts, not unsubstantiated rumors."